Music Review: Lily Lambert – ‘Moving On’

England-born law school graduate Lily Lambert continues her journey in the world of music with the release of her latest album, Moving On, hot on the heels of Life of Lily, So Far, and the most recent, Merry Christmas, With Love. With lyrics and vocals that continue featuring a mix of childlike innocence and realism, and melodies that remain peaceful, smooth, and gentle, Lambert is sticking to a style she is clearly comfortable in.

There is a certain sweetness to Lambert’s vocals that permeates even the darkest of her tunes. This sweetness is further accentuated by a seeming positive outlook on life and its tests and difficulties. For example, on the mid-tempo, piano-led “I Forgive You”, Lambert chooses a positive path to forgiveness; so it’s not just the resolution itself that is healthy—i.e. that she ends up forgiving the object of her hurt—but the path travelled itself.

The track features only a piano and vocals, with faint backing vocals added at times after the one-third mark, giving “I Forgive You” an ethereal feel that reflects how a person who has forgiven another can feel. The delicate drumming that pops into the song at the two-thirds mark and the violins that are added finish off the number with a sense of hope and joy.

Gratitude is another positive feeling that permeates another track, “Thank You”. It comes off as sweet, reflecting a sense of true, profound, and deep thankfulness for the important things in life rather than its superficial aspects. The mid-tempo, guitar-led number also features drums and keyboard elements scattered throughout. “Say It Isn’t So” discusses the topic of breaking up with similar sweetness. The percussive elements added around the one-third mark and the tambourine and keyboard elements at the halfway mark give it an additional enthusiastic twist.

Similarly, in the upbeat, mid-tempo “(Wanna Say) I’m Sorry”, she offers a guilt-free apology, a more healthier and introspective take than the typical, darker songs about seeking forgiveness that usually grace the airwaves.

“Change” offers a positive take on a topic many can relate to: the problems of the world and the crumbling of its various structures. Lambert calls for a change for the better in all of us, claiming this will help us unite with one another through bonds of love. That it comes off as a heartfelt, optimistic anthem rather than a patronizing call for action gives it all the more potency.